Fans Give Scott Hero’s Welcome

When the pregame introductions came Friday night at the Forum, the crowd cheered the return and Byron Scott responded with a wave of the right arm. When the cheers continued, he broke into a big smile.

And then the strangest thing happened.

Scott, about to begin his 14th season as a pro, in a place where he spent the first 10, got shook up.

“I was nervous,” he said of his first home game as a Laker since the spring of 1993. “I can’t believe I was so nervous. Nervous. Excited. Happy. I had a lot of very positive emotions.

“The fans, they’re great to welcome me back like that. It was special. This has always been home, so I knew it would feel great. But it made me feel that much better.”

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After one night, Nick Van Exel says that Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson, the No. 1 pick in the draft, has the best cross-over dribble he has seen.

This year?

“Ever. Ever. He holds the ball in his left hand so long he just makes you jump to it. Then he brings it to the right side quick. Real quick. He’ll be pretty good.”

Whether Iverson can develop into a true point guard, however, remains to be seen--in the 76ers’ five exhibition games, he has 15 assists.